Method of removing can ends.



R. M. HUDDLESTON.

METHOD 0F Hamm/ING CAN ENDS,

APPLICATIGN FILED 1AN.25. i917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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RA M. HUDDLESWN.

METHOD oF REMoviNG CAN ENDS.

APPLlCATlUN FILED J'AN.25. 1911.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

www MNHN uli um I ZS 'i5 of the/projectahl/e san ROBERT M. HUDDLESTN, 0F SAN FRANCISCG, CALIFORNIA.

ianrnon or n nnovnvo can, Enns. Y

` ing the can body, and at the same time leaving the iiange on the can body in condition to receive another end.

In the filling of cans it frequently happens that it is necessary to remove thetop after it is once locked and sealed in position on account of irregularity in the weight o the contents, leakage of the end, or other causes. It is, of course, desirable that this be done without injuring the can body or unsuiting it' for the reception of another top; and in the present invention l have provided a novel method and mechanism which accomplishes the result in a simple and facile manner.

One method of proceeding and a suitable apparatus for attaining the desired result is exemplified in. the following description and ilius'trated in the accompanying draw; ings in whichvice embodying my invention and by the use of which my desired method may he carried out. 'f

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation ofthe same.

Fig. 3 shows a detail view of the operatng lever for moving the straightening and cutting rollers into engagement with the seam of the can.

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the straightening and cutting rollers.

Fig. ,5 shows a sectional view of the same.v

Figs. G and 7 show detail views oi the projectable blocks which carry the straightening and cutting rollers.y

Fig. 8 shows a side elevation of the cutting and straightening rollers and carrying an operating mechanism therefor.

9 shows a side elevation of the oper- Fig.,l 10 shows a erspective view of one oclrs carrying a roller.

Specicaton of Letters Estant.

nre l shows an end elevation of a de-V ratentearee. 1e, 191s.

Application led January 25, 1917. Serial No. 144,353.

Fig. 11' shows a diagrammatic view of various steps employed in connection with removing a can end, as carried on in mynvention.

Fig. 12 shows a vertical, sectional view of the chuck which receives the can.

Fig. 13 shows a sectional view, in plan of the same, taken on the line 13-13 ro Fig. 12. I

Fig. le shows a diagrammatic view of the cutting and straightening rollers and cam mechanism'for projecting the same into operative position improper sequence.

My method of removing can ends may bev carried out by various agencies. However,

1t is described in connection with the machine disclosed in my co-pending application entitled 6Machine for removing can ends, died December 27, 1917, Serial No. 209,074..

InFig. ll of the drawings I show the successive steps involved in the process of removing the can end. he can body'is shown at 10 and the top, or end at 11, the latter beingheld in lace byl a'lock seam which comprises a -shaped channel 12, on the edge of. the can body, -and an interlocking portion 13, on the periphery of the can end to t around the member 12 and enter the channel thereof.

This is a. type of seam 1n general use,

The rst step in the removal of the can.

end consists in pressing the seam outwardly, which is accomplished by having a supporting and gripping ring'comprismg sections 36 to engage the seam at the upper, outer corner thereof, as shown at Alim Fig. 11. This ring causes a rotative movement to be imparted to the can. A straightening roller l5, with a thin beveled flange 16 of sharp inclination, engages beneath ythe seam, as

shown at B in said ligure, and when moved upwardly against the rotating can tends toA :torce the seam outwardly from the can body? `A second roller 17, having a beveledjtlange 1 8 of lessinclination next engages the'partially straightened seam and moves it farther outwardly toward a right angular 'position relative to the axis of the can body as shown at C in Fig. 3 1. Thereafter a. straight-faced roller 19 engages the outstanding seam and completes the straightening thereof, asy

shown at D in Fig. l1. The end of the meinber 13 on the can end in thisposition has achannel-shaped rim 20 hooked overl the edge of the tlangge formed by the member 'l2 on the can body, a shoulder 2l being `termed where the supporting; ring sections 3G grip the seam.

The next step is shown at E and consists in shredding; the free end of the channel 20 on the member 13 by means of knife blades 22 arranged on the roller 19, or, it' desired, on a Separate r 'len 3y cutting` the cnd of this channel into small strips the removal ot the can end is facilitated.

The final step is shown at F and consists in severing the channel 20 by means ot' a cutting roller 23, on a line with the edge ot the outstanding member 12, leavinpr the, parts as Shown at G where the can end is free to be removed. The U-shapcd member l2 will then be in the. form ot' a shouldered, out- :standing` flange, as shown at H, which is such that a new can end may be easily applied and joined to the can body as before with a lock seam, the shoulder portion 2l being:l ot' advantage in applying the new top.

lVith this understandingV of the various steps to be performed` the mechanism for carrying' them out will now be described. S here shown` the machine comprises a trame carrying' a pedestal 25, upon which the can is placed ,said pedestal beine' mounted 't'or rotation upon a. spindle 2V. the latter slidable in a bearing 2T on the trame and raised and lowered by means of a toot pedal 28, Above the pedestal, in spaced alinement therewithn is a chuck Q9, as, best shown in Fig. 1Q. This chuck is secured to an arbor 30 and the latter is driven by suitable mechl anism 3l. The head of the chuck is c vlindrieal in form and carries a sleeve 52 eliflA able thereon and provided at its bottom with a downwardly projecting tlange 323 to tit within the circular ridgl'c formed by the seam on the can end, when the can is raised into engagement therewith by m aine ol the loot pedal. i,

Carried upon the sliding' sleeve B2, by means of levers Si pivoted on brackets $3.3, are arcuate ring seclionst, spaced radially from the sleeve. The upper ends ol the levers 3d are provided with set-screws4 3T Workingr against inclined 'laces 38 formed on the chuck. As the sleeve '32 is raised4 upwardly by the can, the set-Screws BT, riding' against the inclined laces 38, cause the ring sections 3o to be moved inwardly into engagement with the upper, outer corners ot the Seam and in this manner the can is se curely gripped and held in place, and rotated by means of the chuck.

Fixed to the trame ot' the machine. a.djacent, to the chuck and in a position surrounding the can, is an arcuate holder ill carryingr retractile blocks l0, upon each ot' which is ionrnaled. at'y 'the upper inner end, one ot the rollers 15, 17, 1t) and 23. An arcuate cani ll, movable in the holder by means of a hand levi r l2, has a plurality ot prljeeti arranged to engage Aroileis t3 m recesses on the intermediate Y ot' the blocks it), whereby to raise said locks successively to presentthe stiughtening or cutting roller thereon in position to operate upon thc seam in proper order.

lhe arrangement ot the projcctable blocksl and cam mechanism therefor is shown in diagram in Fig. lt, where it will be seen that the cam is moved in the direction of the arrow to raise the blocks and that the tirst projection thereof is relatively close to the roller t3 on the block carrying' the initial straightenine` roller; the second proii tion beings,T spaced somewhat farther from the block carrying the intermediate straighteninge,r roller and the third projection beinzgf spaced Still farther 'from the block carrying the straightening' and shredding' roller lf), ctc., in order that said blocks will be pio jected in successive order, as indicated in Fig'. ll. While it is immaterial whether or not the blocks remain in raised position, after they have once performed their tunetions, nevertheless the shape ot each cam1 projection is such as to allow the block to recede alter the work ot the roller thereon has been acconmlished. "lhe operatinglever .for the cam has a limited movement on account ot the provision ot stops -t-land a spring t5 i5 provided to return the lever and cam to normal. position.

In the operation otf the device according; to the present method the can to be opened placed in upright position on the pedestal and the toot pedal depressed to raise the can into engagement with the chuck,

whereupon the chuck acts to automatically `grip the rim ot the can in toe manner lshown in Fig. l2. lilith the can `gripped between the ring sections 36 and the sleeve, 23: it will be rotated by the chuck to permit' the straightening' and en` ting rollers to perform their operations upon the seam thereof, The operatiinD-i` mechanlsn'i then moved to actnate the lcam il, causing the initial straightening' roller l5 to be raised into position to engage the underside of 4the seam, the ring sections 36 aetino as an anvil to support the upper side, ol; the seam. rhe rotation ot' the can is quite rapid and after a lj'ew revolutions ot the same the seam will be partially pressed out. Further movement ot the can will cause the intermediate straightening roller to be projected into engagement with thev partially straightened seam and move it farther outwardly.

Next, the roller ,ttl will be brought into operative position by the cam, completing the. straipjhteninje; of the seam and by means ol` the knife blades 2'() shredding the free end of th'e channel-shaped periphery ot' the can top. Thereafter the roller B brought Lacasse into positionkto sever the base of the channel 20 on a line with the edge of the outstanding fiange of the can body, the gripping ring sections 3G cooperating with said cutting roller to ermit the complete severing of the channeled portion of the can end. The shredded and severed portion of the channeled rim 20 will readily fall away leaving the can end free to be removed from the can body. The operation is rapid and easy of control and the seam is straightened out and severed without in any way injuri the can body orl spilling the contents thereo Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the several parts herein shown and described may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The method of removing a lock seam end from a can body, which consists in pressing out the seam at right angles to the axis oi' the can, and cutting oif the interlocking portion of the can end without mutilating the resulting ange on the can body.

The method of removing a lock sean: end from a can body, which consists in forcing the folded parts of the seam away from the body of the can, leaving a right angular riang(y on the can body, overlying which' is the rim of the can`end having a channel-shaped periphery surrounding the outer margin of the liange on the can body, and severing the channeled portion of the can end on a line with the edge of the iiange of said body, whereby the end may De lifted oil with the liange on the can body remaining intact to receive another end.

3. The method of removing a lock seam end from a can body, which consists in forcing the folded arts of the seam away from the body of t e can, leaving a right can body outer corners, orcing the interlocked parts of the seam away from the can body to form a right angled flange on the can body, overlying which is the rim of the can end hav-- ing a channel-shaped periphery encompassing the outer margin of the flange, and severing the channeled portion of the can end on a line with the ed e of the flange, whereby the end may be li ed o, the iiange on the remaining intact for the reception of anot the point where it was gripped.

y5.The method of removing look seam can ends from can bodies, which consists in severing the seemed rim of the can end along a line coincident with the joint in the seam where thel retaining ange on the can body will not be injured and where the can end and the locked portion of its rim will be free for separate removal.

6. The .method of removin a. lock seam can end from a can body, which consists in pressing the seam outwardly from the body of the can and severing the rim of the can end on a line where the locked portion of the seam and the can end are free for separate removal and the retaining fiange on the can body is left intact.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT M. HUDDLESTON. ,Witnessem JOHN H. HERRING, W. W. Hmm.

er end and having a shoulder at 

